Wildebeest migration drives tourism demand in the Serengeti

We examine tourism demand for an iconic ecological resource – the migration of ~1.3 million wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The wildebeest migration generates economic benefits through ecotourism, which we investigated by combining quantitative tools from spatial ecology and environmental economics with wildebeest GPS collar data and lodge use data from Serengeti National Park. We used GLMMs and random utility models to quantify the effect of the distance from lodges to wildebeest hotspots on two important aspects of demand: the number of tourists visiting lodges in the park (participation); and the tourists' choice of where to stay during their visit (site choice). We find that longer distances between lodges and wildebeest hotspots significantly reduced tourist participation (i.e. the total number of tourists visiting lodges) and site choice (the probability of tourist groups choosing a lodge). Lodge price had a positive effect on participation, but it did not affect site choice for international tourist groups. Whilst our results are specific to the Serengeti, the methods presented here can be applied to any system in which non-consumptive wildlife viewing is the foundation of local ecotourism. As such, this novel approach provides a new perspective on the economics of wildlife management and strengthens the case for the continued conservation of ecosystems that contain wildlife resources. Due to the high value of the wildebeest migration to tourism, we suggest that future expansion of tourist infrastructure in the Serengeti should proceed in ways that minimise disturbance to this living resource.